Dalai Lama refused SA visa cartoon

Dalai Lama refused SA visa

Show me the money Mr Lama!

No doubt at the time of posting this cartoon at the very least Helen Zille and the DA would be making an objection to the fact the South Africa has denied a visa to the Dalai Lama.

Actually as morally bankrupt as it might sound, it’s probably not a bad thing for South Africa. South Africa is largely a resource based economy and it would not be a good idea to peeve a major trading partner – especially not one as powerful as China. So let us all yield to the almighty dollar and hope we save a few local jobs in the process. And continue to get cheap jeans and t-shirts of course.

Interestingly enough, President Kgalema Motlanthe stated the reason for denying the visa to the Dalai Lama was to keep the focus of the world on the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

2011 UPDATE: History repeats itself – see Dalai Lama refused visa for Tutu’s 80th birthday.

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Comments

  1. Saw it…point taken…

  2. Can you fund the ANC? Can you dish out dollars to elites? Can you buy and run our NATIONALISED mines? If not – stay away – we are communists and non-believers anyway.

  3. Lama has got a right to be here in south africa what is wrong when Lama is here in this country,he may not be here because South Africa and China are in 6 BILLION – MILLION DEAL let us be fare he is hewre to preach about PEACE not HIM being THREAT to world cup.LONG LIVE Dalai Lama long live

  4. The Dalai Lama story and a host of other contemporary South African events demonstrate real politik as articulated by Niccolò Machiavelli. It is not surprising that various commentary recently has cited this “genius”. Real politicians know that their business is about mobilising and wielding power i.e. the ability of A (e.g. China) to cause B (e.g. RSA) to do what B would not otherwise do. In this regard, the politician views the world with an amoral lense, focusing on the most expedient way to achieve his / her goals. If this means trashing a religious leader in the process or finding “valid cause in procedural law” for dropping criminal charges against a comrade, then that is what will happen. So, your cartoon is apt. There Dalai Lama has to leverage a power greater than “A” in order to influence the desired decision from “B”. Otherwise the Lama has to suffer the fate of the powerless

    • @Lekgotla – thanks for the excellent comment… I hope we can entice you to write a short article for Wonkie at some point (seriously!). Given Mr Motlanthe’s comments about the 2010 world cup being the priority, the possibly one remaining strategic option for the Dalai Lama is to apply for the visa to watch a FIFA 2010 soccer match and then sneak out to the conference. Ah well, it’s canned now so too late for that.

      @Ou vrou – LOL! (And Bobo – she’s being sarcastic… I hardly think her comment counts as ‘apartheid crap’) The point is still that if the Dalai Lama was seen to have more to offer than the Chinese he would have received the visa.. I don’t care what government invitation story is being spinned to mitigate the action now.

      Given the economic circumstances I certainly don’t fault the current government for denying the visa from a practical point of view – just look at it as a decision made based purely on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

      @Bobo – I think your feeling toward certain persons (e.g. FW de Klerk as being insignificant to you) clouds your view of a significantly bigger picture. The peace conference is now cancelled so what was achieved – nothing. I think Lukani sees the light!

      @Ngolo – you’re right there for sure. China has affected local manufacturers all over the world (outside of China of course!) quite seriously. Still, the overall impact of China not sourcing their raw materials from SA would still be worse for the average South African than the shutting down of some manufacturing operations here. It’s not a nice decision to have to make.

  5. How many South African jobs have been lost and businesses closed down because of Chinese imports? I know of one firm in Bloemfontein who used to supply metal furniture to The Protea Hotel Group, until Protea switched to Chinese imports and 64 breadwinners lost their jobs when the business had to close its doors. But who cares? The Chinese are the new colonial masters!!

  6. Ou Vrou, dont talk apartheid crap please! I am the one person who still blames the ANC for not having nationalised the mines. Harry Opperheimer have run away with all our money anyway. He took our gold and didnt even spent the profits here. The ANC just did him a big favour for wich you must be very thankful.
    The Dalai Llama’s VISA was not disapprved by the ANC, it was disapproved by the department of Home Affairs. And they have issued a media statement to that effect.
    He was not invited by the SA Govt and therefore cannot be granted a VISA. If you are attending a conference on government invitation, then you will be granted a VISA. He was not invited by the govt, so his attendence therefore was not welcome. This peace conference is organised by the government of SA. Not by De Klerk.
    So he can boicott it for that matter, we dont even care because he is very insignificant to us.

  7. gillkitty says

    Bobo
    Sometime or other, bro, you must stop pointing fingers and whinging (re the stupid Oppenheimer comment) and start doing something to contribute to the new S Africa.
    Rant and rave and stay stuck in the past.
    C’mon honey!! Get you *ss into gear and make the economy boom just like Oom Harry did

  8. bakenshark says

    Right on Gillkitty!..one things for sure..SA sure knows how to pick their battles!!

  9. ROFL!
    Mr Lama, he he. Very cynical, but I fear you may be uncomfortably close to the truth. Maybe it’s because the ANC have no idea of what it must be to live under an illegitimate regime that rules with an iron fist of oppression……….oh, wait no…..that doesn’t sound right?

  10. @Worsbeursie – as a token ANC supporter in this instance TOUCHE, my friend TOUCHE! LOL

  11. Having known or suspected that there would be a fallout, and then deciding in any event to proceed with the decision, there are two shortcomings of the government’s handling of the Dalai Lama matter:
    1. There was no desensitisation of the populace or those that view the DL as a champion of peace – this could have been done through wide spread publicity of Pretoria’s (or Tswhane’s) huge moral and financial support for the (People’s) Beautiful Game to be staged in 2010 and how the post-apartheid dispensation appreciated all the support shown by world leaders like the DL etc. and how Gvt looks forward to working with the DL on world peace beyond 2010 etc. Systematic desensitisation is being used effectively in the NPA dropping charges (even roping in the Young Communists to make it obvious that “NPA had at last come to its senses”)!
    2. No containment strategy was developed – e.g. sufficient confusion could have been induced to apportion blame on the organisers by indicating that they did not process the visa papers (then later claiming to have been quoted out of context) or shroud the matter in the inefficiency in Home Affairs / Foreign Affairs protocol / processes. In the end, the President will have looked very statesman-like by sending, on an emergency ticket, an emissary to apologise to the DL for our ineptness in administering what was supposed to have been a straightfoward matter. The end result would have been that the conference would go ahead but the DL would be absent!!! And guess who would have been appeased.. the People’s Republic of (BIG) C

  12. Spiritwolf says

    and updated, northing has changed, war criminals and violent leaders welcome in Za, peacefull oppressed people not..unless they come with $$$$$$$$$$

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